#Quit India speech

[manasastuff-blog]

[metamatar]

When Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell launched the Boy Scout movement in 1908, he needed a hero his boys would respect. [...]

Civilization sapped a man's strength: as Baden-Powell put it some years later, 'with its town life, buses, hot-and-cold water laid on, everything done for you,' it tended 'to make men soft and feckless ... God made men to be men. The middle class had to lead the way, and take a lesson from the Empire. The colonists risking their lives in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Africa had strength and initiative; in contrast to the bored or indifferent or pleasure-seeking islanders, they were real men. [...]

The frontier myth supported the frontiersman as a cult figure, it used 'primitive' races such as the 'Red' Indian and the Zulu as examples of martial virility, and, in Baden-Powell at Mafeking, it made the imperial scout a national hero. The outward symbols of the frontiersman - his cowboy hat, his flannel shirt and neckerchief, and perhaps most oddly, his short trousers (as used by Baden-Powell in India and on the South African veld) - dramatized through the Boy Scout movement the call to a revitalized manhood. [...]

The social ideas that informed and inspired the youth movements can be simplified, but they were by no means simple; Scouting cannot be understood without some summary of its historical background. Both it and the other youth movements reflected and were a response to several quite different influences: popular imperialism, social Darwinism, the crisis of masculinity and the search for 'national efficiency,' social concerns about poverty and slum conditions, new theories of education, and the value of fresh air. [...]

For Baden-Powell, the Matabele campaign [a region in what is now known as Zimbabwe] was a succession of hot days and cool nights on the high veld, scouting the Ndebele, tracking their spoor, spying on their positions, escaping their ambushes, killing them in their caves.

In the Matopos hills Baden-Powell learned the necessity of studying his enemy, using the landscape, and the importance of camouflage. Scouting was thus a science, no longer an inbred sense peculiar to the native. [...] Baden-Powell discovered that though the Ndebele were clever in many little ways, they rarely took the trouble to cover their own spoor, and they were useless in the dark. The civilized scout could answer intuition with logic, and meet nature with science.

[Sons of the Empire, The Frontier and the Boy Scout Movement, 1890-1918. Robert H. MacDonald]

While girls wanted to join the Scouts, Baden-Powell rejected this idea, fearing girls’ femininizing influence on boys and that girls would turn into tomboys. He instead advocated for the development of a separate organization, the Girl Guides, to provide girls with distinctive training that centered around their future roles as wives and mothers. [Elizabeth Dillenburg]

[Girl Scouts USA was founded by] Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she had met Robert Baden-Powell [...] Low was the granddaughter of Juliette Magill Kinzie and John Harris Kinzie, and her maternal grandparents were one of the earliest settlers of Chicago. Juliette Kinzie wrote about her experiences in the Northwest Territory (now the state of Wisconsin) in her book Wau-Bun: The Early Day. Low incorporated some of her grandmother's experiences on the frontier into the traditions of Girl Scouts. [Wikipedia]

Militarism, racist pedagogy, and colonialist violence, some of the strongest threads that wove together Baden-Powell’s two lives, were also at the heart of the genocidal education projects developed by settler states during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In Canada, these included the federally funded and church-run Indian Residential Schools, where Scout and Guide groups were thought to provide Indigenous students with an important training in appropriate gender roles and physical discipline.[...] While in Toronto, Baden-Powell also gave an invited speech at the Imperial Education Conference, where he proudly claimed that the Guides and Scouts had been “found particularly useful in the schools for Red Indian children, just as [they] had also proved useful in a like manner on the West Coast of Africa and in Baghdad.” [..]

At the same time, Scouting and Guiding were – and in some contexts, remain – proponents of what historian Philip Deloria calls the modern practice of “playing Indian” – appropriating and mimicking so-called uncivilized and pre-historic Indigenous cultural practices with the aim of strengthening modern white bodies and spirits. [...]

Having non-Indigenous Scouts and Guides don “Indian dress,” participate in “pow wows,” and perform “Indian dances,” then, was an especially complicated proposition in settler states like Canada – places where imaginary Indians and assimilatory government policies collided with Indigenous nations whose members, contrary to contemporary expectations, were stubbornly refusing to die out. [Kristine Alexander and Mary Jane Logan McCallum]

[julaibib]

What are your thoughts on people who are "Ahle Hadees"? I have met quite a few of them but they are so strict with following the religion (esp in India) that they cancel out scholars or islamic speakers who they narrow down to preaching "wrong aqeedah". They call themselves "Salafis" too. Are "salafis" and "ahle hadees" different from each other? There are "salafi" women who only wear black color clothes and no other color. They sometimes rebuke me for making mistakes while performing wudu and says, "Allah will never forgive such a mistake." I was seriously scared tbh.

Being a Muslim according to the way the righteous predecessors (salaf) were is the safest and best thing in this time full of wrong ideas and wrong ways of applying Islam in a way that the Prophet or his companions did not do Because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then there will come people whose testimony will come before their oath, and their oath before their testimony.”

Therefore, we are required when we find many mistakes spread in the nation to return and imitate what the sahaba were doing The problem is that some of those who claim to be from the people of hadith or the salaf way now do this in a wrong and difficult way in advice, it is possible that warning about something that you did wrong was correct and I mean the meaning of the speech

But they did it in a wrong way and not because the way is wrong does not mean that the speech is wrong, it is possible for a person to have correct speech Some people do this and give correct advice but in a wrong way, so never think that the speech is wrong because the way of the speaker is ridiculous or wrong

In fact, I do not know the circumstances there in India and what the method is like, but I think that their method of advice is bad or incorrect, but being on the path of the Salaf is the best. In general, I do not like to describe myself as anything other than a Muslim, and I do not like those other names.

[hum-suffer]

Of course, you'll hurt me (Rajneeti) part 5

With Samar's glasses over her eyes, Amrita stands at a corner and stares off in the distance, remembering the last time she wore something belonging to Samar.

(It was the day they last met. She was wearing his jeans jacket. He'd made her smile and laugh and he'd made it her best day. And then, he never talked to her again. He avoided her calls, never answered her messages and emails. Amrita shoved the jean jacket in the spare storeroom of her house the very day he left india.)

(The sense of belongingness in her chest is heavy as a panic attack as she feels the frames of his sunglasses licking her ears. She hates him for coming back and for ruining the control she sowed over the years.)

That guy has guts, is what Amrita thinks as she is left alone in the car while Prithvi goes to give his prepared speech. This Suraj guy is somehow a bit correct in his place but Amrita has never been enough of a satyavadi to actually appreciate his tirade. Behind her sunglasses, she rolls her eyes and wishes she could instead her some random songs instead of this irritating battle of words. It's getting on her nerves.

Apparently, Prithvi doesn't have too much patience too. He reiterates that Jeevan Kumar will be the candidate from Azad nagar, and the guy huffs, turning away and leaving a crowd behind, that's cheering his name.

God, what a mess.

Despite the sunglasses, Amrita contemplates getting herself another pain killer and an expresso. With the amount of reports here, she knows it'll be plastered all over the net about how the Rashtrawadi party isn't doing well in Azad nagar, especially with it being an area set up by the party itself years ago. Some sort of sick irony.

Prithvi bhaiya has a shrewd look about himself when he finally walks down the stage and Amrita knows she's in for a rant as soon as she shares a look with Harsh.

As soon as they're seated in the car, Prithvi snarls. "I want details on that guy. Immediately."

"Already on it," Amrita says, pulling off the glasses and putting them back in the compartment. She's seen this guy, she knows him. "He's Ram Kaka's son, Suraj. He's got a lot of friends and he's a local hero, from what Kaka has told me."

Prithvi narrows his eyes at her. "You know him?"

"I know your driver and I'm decent enough to talk to him," she retorts, clenching her jaw at his tone. She knows he is angry and Prithvi has never quite managed to have a better temperament. Whenever he's angry, he destroys everything around him. Typical male anger.

(Amrita would know. Her father has the same explosive anger.)

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

Dev is absolutely unsurprised when she goes to pick him up, her hair in a mess and her clothes creased. Harsh had offered to drop her but she'd rather spend time one on one with her little brother than this hovering feeling of being involved in the politics.

Just because she dabbled a little into politics while in college, and just because she's Prithvi's assistant, it doesn't mean that she's just going to sit down and let the possibile political implications ruin her time with her brother.

Dev's blue berry icecream tastes horrible and chalky, leaving a layer of dryness on her tongue when she takes a bite. She scowls at Dev as he laughs,"Of course, I knew you wouldn't like it."

"Why offer it at all?"

"You made bhindi yesterday despite knowing I hate it," he shrugs,"Balance tallied."

Amrita narrows her eyes as she takes a tiny bite of her pineapple icecream. "It is definitely not tallied. I'll be making bhindi again, just to irritate you now."

"I won't eat it!" He sticks out his now blue tongue at her, despite knowing that he needs to eat whatever she makes, of course.

Amrita raises an eyebrow. "You'll eat what I make or starve. Now, tell me, what did you eat for lunch? Abhi and Khushi didn't come to college today?"

Dev steals a bite from her icecream and shakes his head. "They did come, but they left earlier to go on a date."

"Ah, young love," Amrita exaggerates with a sigh,"You still have no crushes in your faculty?"

Dev rolls his eyes and shakes his head vehemently. "Absolutely not. I'd just rather stay focused on myself. I don't think I can juggle too many responsibilities. I need to score the goddamn best in the class."

Amrita throws away his empty cup and gives him the remaining half of her icecream. She swats his head before ruffling his hair affectionately. "I love you, Dev, but you need to understand that I have no expectations from you. I don't need you to top. I need you to enjoy your life and just maintain good grades. You don't need to be the best in that class, you're already the best boy I know."

Dev yawns and nods. "Yeah, I know, but I just want to make you proud."

Amrita feeds him a spoonful of the icecream and kisses the side of his head. "I'm always proud of you, no matter what. Don't force yourself into anything because of mental or peer pressure." Amrita wishes she could say more, do more. He's her everything. He's the Sun of her universe.

"Yeah." He doesn't look unconvinced but the typical aversion to emotions has returned and Amrita huffs out a laugh at him, urging him to eat up the icecream quickly so that she can go to drop him off back home.

He sideyes her when she buys a coffee to go for herself but doesn't say anything about it, talking to her about his college instead. There's going to be some fresher's party soon, he says, tone hopeful and wondering.

He says this as they reach home, knowing that she immediately has to leave and hence can't give him a whole lecture or interrogate him about all the details of this farewell party.

"Send me the details, I'll pay the amount by evening." She grins at his answering whoop. Under other circumstances, she'd have had more questions for him, but she'd have let him go anyways and she knows he deserves a treat after the fiasco yesterday. She hopes that no other day comes where he has to spend the night alone in their home.

"You're still going to be back home by 11 pm, you hear me?"

Dev bounces on the ball of his feet as he nods feverently, almost vibrating in excitement. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, I'll be back at the dot!"

Amrita shakes her head at him and starts to leave. "I'll see you for dinner, be safe!"

She doesn't leave until Dev is back in the house.

Two blocks later, she parks on the side of the road and downs the coffee as soon as she can, hoping her stomach won't grumble when she goes back to the Pratap residence. In between the travel time to and fro Dev's college, the issue with Surya Kumar, and the media fallout of it, Amrita hasn't had the time to have a proper meal. The ice cream and coffee aren't actual meals, but they'll sustain her until she can come back home for dinner.

She sighs deeply, wishing that she could just run away from the problem and take a long vacation.

Her phone rings, and it's Indu.

Amrita cusses thoroughly as she picks up the call.

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

Walking in the Pratap house, Amrita takes in the sight of Chandra uncle and Prithvi hunched over the table, talking in hushed tones. She drops the files of investors and the poster sketch on the table near them, greeting Bharti aunty quietly before she sits down across Prithvi.

She ties her hair in a quick bun, and puts her earrings in the pocket, starting to adjust the schedule for the next day.

"You have a meeting with Mr. Bajaj tomorrow, 9 a.m." She tells Prithvi, writing down the location, the time, the particulars and the members of the meeting in the organised order that she's been doing for years.

Prithvi shakes his head. "Postpone it."

"Why and at what time?" She asks, barely stopping herself from gritting her teeth in irritation at his presumptive nature.

"I'm going out with Samar, to get him a watch. Write that down. We'll go to the Casio and Titan showrooms. I did tell him he could even get Cartier but he's stuck on the vintage looks for Titan." Prithvi says, the last sentence directed to Chandra uncle, who nods with a chuckle.

Amrita sighs and puts a reminder in her phone to call Rithik, Mr. Bajaj's secretary, for the change of time. Knowing the two men, it'll take at least an hour for them to select a watch and it'll take another half hour, Prithvi will insist on feeding Samar.

She's wondering what exactly she should tell Rithik when Samar walks into the room, dressed in a simple worn grey tshirt and jeans. He holds her eyes for a long moment, expression hopeful. She remembers him calling her Amu.

She remembers Indu's phone call.

Amrita turns back to the diary. "So, I can pencil your visit to Titan at 9 a.m. We can move the meeting with Mr. Bajaj to 11 a.m. And then you have another meeting with the leader of the student wing of our party, Shweta Kulkarni, at 12:30 p.m. Then, you have the party meeting at 3 p.m."

Samar's head snaps up. "Bhaiya, please don't move any meetings because of me. I'm going to be here for a couple more days, we can go later."

Amrita almost shakes her head. Little brothers and their incessant need to make sure that their elder siblings know just how uncool it is to hangout with elder siblings.

Amrita wishes she could have brought her earphones and it would have been socially acceptable to work in a group while wearing her earphones. She does not wish to be a part of this conversation and neither does she need any information from this conversation.

Prithvi shakes his head. "We're going. That's it. If I can't make time for my little brother, what kind of an elder brother am I, huh? And you're already planning on leaving. Let me have some time with you."

It's the emotional blackmail card that has Amrita standing up. All eyes snap to her for a moment and she gives a half smile to no one in particular, picking up her diary as she goes. "I'll reset the meeting."

She moves to the backyard to call Rithik, who, thankfully agrees to postpone the meeting after a quick word with his boss, since Mr. Bajaj has the hour at 11 a.m. free already. Bless her luck.

It's when Rithik passes the phone to Mr. Bajaj that Amrita considers that she may just have jinxed her own luck.

Instead of the self righteous anger that Amrita is expecting, Mr. Bajaj chuckles as he says,"Prithvi babu only just checked his schedule, didn't he?"

"Yes, sir," she says, embarrassed and sheepish because of Prithvi. They'd gone over his schedule on the previous day too. If he'd just told her— at least they'd have been professional and Mr. Bajaj would have a 24 hours notice.

"I wonder how you manage to work with him," he laughs,"Prithvi babu has always been impulsive. But do not worry, Ms. Arya, I will fully accommodate you and him."

Amrita squashes the urge to sigh. "Thank you, Mr. Bajaj. We will see you in your office at 11 a.m. tomorrow."

"Of course. Thank you, Ms. Arya."

"And thank you, sir, for being so accommodating. I hope you have a good day."

This time, Amrita actually finds herself wishing her pleasantaries to be true. Any man who is this calm about a sudden change in time needs to have good days. If it were anyone else, Amrita would have been humiliated and Prithvi would have lost favour.

When she turns to go back, Samar is standing at the door, hand raised to knock. Amrita startles, putting a hand on her heart. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

Samar frowns minutely and shakes his head, as if dismissing a thought. "No, I'm sorry for startling you. Um, anyway, Maa sent me to ask you if you'd like some tea."

Amrita shakes her head, pressing her lips in a quick smile. "No, thank you."

"Right, I'll tell her to make a couple of parathas for you." He turns to leave, an unbearably smug tilt to his lips.

"I already spent my lunch," she calls out after him, deliberately not using his name. "Thank you for the offer, however."

Samar turns back to her. "You're telling me you had the time to go to Dev's college, eat icecream with him, drop him back home, come here and eat lunch too?"

"Being oversmart is not a virtue." Is all she says, pursing her lips in irritation.

He sighs and slaps a hand to his mouth and takes a moment to compose himself before speaking again. "I'm sorry, I won't press you. But, Amu, can we please have that conversation tonight?"

Amrita shakes her head before he even finishes the question. "Tomorrow," she tells him, because she is a coward, who knows that Indu has planned to propose to him and Amrita doesn't want to forgive him only to face heartbreak. Again.

He frowns, looking like he would have some words but stops himself again. "Thank you," he says quietly.

Amrita nods at him awkwardly. "I'll make an appointment for the showroom for tomorrow."

"Yes, of course." He keeps staring at her, and for a moment, Amrita thinks he will walk forward and again—

He doesn't.

He clears his throat, his ears turning red as he turns away instantly and leaves.

Amrita doesn't realise she's smiling until she looks at the black screen of her phone.

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

Fifteen minutes later, Smita, the house help, comes to her with a paratha.

Stubborn bastard, Amrita thinks with a sigh even as she begins to dig in.

He eyes her from the other end of the table, she can feel his eyes burning on the side of her face. The tiny smile she spies on his face when she takes a bite is just as endearing as it used to be all those years ago.

She looks back to her diary when she remembers again what Indu had begged her to help with.

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

There's something about seeing his shades on Amrita's face.

When Samar actually sees the news, he has started it with the intention to watch the whole speech and then mock his brother for his incantation and speech pattern. However, when his eyes fall on a figure in the far back, on a figure clad in blue instead of the bleak white of everyone around her, his breath hitches.

He can't see much of her expressions since but he knows (knew, his mind corrects and he winces) she doesn't enjoy loud noises and crowds. The shades on her face prove his memory to be correct even in the present. Amrita never wears shades unless she has a headache.

He wishes he could give her those chocolates she loved, they always lifted her spirits up.

When he squints, he sees the shape of the glasses and it rings a bell in his mind until it bangs and he remembers— those are his shades. He left him in the car today, when he went out with Prithvi bhaiya.

The urge to be there next to her, to hold her hand, to cup her cheeks, it all comes back. He wants to hold her hand and lead her away from the public and run his fingers through her hair and let her settle until her headache is gone.

He was a coward, all those years ago.

He can't be one now.

He only wishes that Amrita will hear him out.

____________________________________________________

Tagging: @akshinayak

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results: Fekthrud

Happy Liminalmas, everybody! We've got fewer results than usual this week, which I would speculatively credit to a variety of factors:

Weird liminal space at the end of the year

It's Another Bird

Not a ton of fun details

It's easy to guess what the animal is

Anyhow, if you want to see the context for this, the page where I collect these posts is here: https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting. (Hmm -- looks like I forgot to update the page last time around. Maybe that's part of the issue too.) And the entry that people are working from is here:

So, our results, roughly chronologically:

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) has given us these very well-rendered pheasant-like creatures. They've given their Fekthrud a head like a Pachycephalosaurus*, which I think is a great way to interpret the whole business about the hard skull; like, that had not occurred to me when reading the entry, but now that I see it, it makes perfect sense. In general these are excellent birds here, and you can see some brief notes on design decisions in the post linked above. I like the justification that a ground bird makes the most sense if they're adapted for falling on rocks and/or running into stuff head-first.

*Proud of myself for spelling "pachycephalosaurus" correctly without looking -- being a former Dinosaur Kid pays weird niche dividends.

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) continues to impress with her medieval-style drawings. (And to provide alt-text, thank you.) I really like how colorful and generally very pretty she's made her Fekthrud. I also appreciate the decision to show them attacking someone who is trying to take that "iron rod" advice. Very correct response -- get 'em, birds. If you click the link to her post above, you can see some discussion of design decisions.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) has made the excellent decision to pose their Fekthrud like it's giving a speech. (And the generous decision to provide alt text, thank you.) This bird absolutely looks like it's saying "Ave!" -- I can clearly imagine it addressing the Roman Senate. Cheapsweets has also taken inspiration from Pachycephalosaurus, and I love that two of our artists got there independently -- like I said, it's an idea that makes perfect sense once you think of it. The post linked above contains a detailed discussion both of their design decision and of their artistic process, including an image of their tools and materials. Go read it.

@pomrania (link to post here) has decided that, rather than make the actual bone of the Fekthrud's skull thick. it should have a thick cushion of feathers. I don't know much about birds, but I feel like that makes sense: thick and heavy bone might be a weight issue if this thing is supposed to fly, so a feather cushion might be more practical protection. The goofy look with the tongue lolling out is also quite charming. In the post linked above, you can see some brief notes on design and process.

And... that's it for this week. Like I said, not a lot of people did this one. So, the Aberdeen Bestiary version:

Yeah, so, of course this one is the parrot.

The medieval illustrator is actually pretty close, I think. And they've used one of my favorite styles of Generic Medieval Plant, even though it doesn't look like it can support the parrot's weight.

The entry is broadly accurate, except for the bit about the skull and the iron rod. There are parrots in India with the coloration described -- multiple species, actually, as far as I can tell. They do talk, though I can't speak to the tongue anatomy thing.

Moreover, if you were a parrot trainer in India who wanted to impress medieval Europeans with your talking birds -- maybe so you can establish demand for them in a new market -- of course the first thing you'd do is train your parrots to greet people in Latin and Greek. Latin is the obvious catch-all, and Greek is the majority language in Constantinople, which is the trade hub you want to target. So I bet all the parrots from India that medieval Europeans saw really did say "Ave!" and "Kere!" (And we do know that people in the Byzantine Empire had pet parrots, so I guess it worked.)

I've never heard the thing about parrots having a hard skull and beak. I kind of wonder if, at some point, someone saw a parrot being struck by its owner (or the aforementioned hypothetical merchant) and asked if it was really necessary to beat the poor bird like that -- and got a line like "oh, they have really hard skulls, it doesn't hurt them as much as you think"... and then that just stuck.

Anyway, that's it for this week. Hope y'all are enjoying Birds because you're getting another one next week.

[teaah-art]

Desi LGBT Fest 2023 (hosted by @desi-lgbt-fest)

Day 7 : Faith/Rituals of Love

Definitely geared heavily towards the 'Faith' part of this prompt as soon as I read it!

If being Queer is defying conventions and if being a part of the Queer community means going against heteronormativity and gender conformity, is it not Queer to forego materialistic ties and the love of a human partner and embrace the love of a greater being you have only heard about in stories?

All four individuals featured here were integral part of the Bhakti Movement and/or Sufism in South Asia. None were married other than Meerabai.

(Panel order from top to bottom)

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) : A key name of the Bhakti Movement and the Gauriya Vaishnav tradition in 15th Century Bengal, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was believed to have been a vessel for both Radha and Krishna. Bengali doesn't use pronouns or gendered language and we may never know what they would have preferred to be identified as in a language they didn't know (English), I will simply resort to using They/Them for them. Their written teachings are few and far between but the verse mentioned here is the seventh verse of the only written record of their teachings, the Shikshastakam - a collection of 8 total verses. The translation here is my own and quite literal so that the interpretation is left to the reader.

Meerabai (1498-1597) : [CW : IMPLIED QUEERPHOBIA/APHOBIA] Meerabai was born into Rajput royalty and was married off, also to Rajput royalty, in likely an arranged marriage. While most of the stories surrounding her are folklore whose historicity is yet to be confirmed, her marital status can be confirmed, and so can her devotion and affection for Krishna and the divine, which she has herself penned in numerous poems and songs. Folklore does strongly imply that she was non-committal to her marriage and that her in-laws tried to poison her to death multiple times for it.

Kabir (1398–1448 or 1440–1518) : Found as an orphan by a Muslim weaver couple, Kabir's religion grew to become somewhat of an enigma for future generations. His stance, however, on the topic romance and marital relationships is quite clear - he looked down upon them and a huge chunk of his couplets strongly imply that romantic and sexual relations simply obstruct spiritual enlightenment.

Bulleh Shah (1680-1757) : Bulleh Shah, though an ardent proponent of loving the divine, was declared a Kafir, a non-believer/non-Muslim by a quite a few Muslim clerics of the time. He was known for speaking up against existing power hierarchies of the time and used vernacular speech for his writings (Punjabi, Sindhi) which not only served to popularize his works, but also let people connect to his words.

A personal note on my motivations under the cut.

A while back when I was actively going through the anxiety of finding out that I am ace and that I will never fit into the current South Asian society that the wedding industry has a chokehold on, I desperately wanted to see people from my own culture living happily without a partner. During one of my history rabbit hole escapedes, I restumbled upon the story of Meerabai, how she always insisted on loving and devoting herself towards Krishna, despite being married into a normative and wealthy household and despite her in-laws repeatedly attempting to poison her for not committing to her husband. Most of us from India grow up hearing about Meerabai, her spiritual connections to Krishna, and her struggles. The moral of those stories is always framed as 'believe in god, he will help you through tough times'. But this was the first time I was making a different connection, I was drawing different morals. And when I took Meerabai's non-conformity to her married life and started looking for more examples like hers, I was overwhelmed by how many more individuals existed without a partner, condemned being in a normative, married relationship, admitted to having lost human connections and faced resistance even, and yet stayed true to their orientation and sounded HAPPY! It was extremely hard to narrow it down to these four, but these do make my point! Labels are hard to transpose across cultures and history. But if being queer means being nonconforming of marital structures and being aspec/arospec implies neutrality, indifference, or aversion to romance and intercourse, then no one fits the label if they don't.

[deadzonedenizen]

Rasmus' Reference Sheet and Description:

There are a lot if ways to leave a first lasting impression. Maybe you dress a certain way. Maybe you have a peculiar speech pattern with the accent to back it up.

Maybe you don't leave the house without spraying cologne on yourself, or maybe you know a weird amount of medical facts that would give anyone health anxiety (or would make anyone think you got away with disposing a body).

Rasmus definitely checks all of those boxes. Most know him as the young Indian tailor Alix scouted, now under the apprenticeship of her parent. If not that, then he would be known for being a junior photojournalist for a local cosmopolitan magazine.

With an eye for detail, Rasmus can sometimes be seen carrying a camera with him. If not for his magazine submissions, then for inspiration. That inspiration becomes a sketch, then it becomes a fashion piece that anyone would want their hands on.

His comfort zone is usually things that aren't too fancy, such as jackets, overalls, pants and so on. He isn't opposed to challenging himself though, already experiencing making dresses for weddings and quinceañeras. This usually leaves him a bit more tired however, and it's almost always expected for someone to walk into the finished product...with Rasmus asleep on the floor.

Rasmus... didn't realize he wanted to be a fashion designer until after he graduated. Before that, he was completely indecisive on what career path he wanted to take. This left him feeling like he was wasting his parents' money, going to his education which he felt like he wasn't taking advantage of.

That was something he wanted to correct, which led to him taking an overseas gap year program in China. He planned to build his independence by being in another country, while also having someone like Alix to guide him through the process. This gap year is a chance to prove that he is capable of making his own choices, without the influence of his parents' status.

So he accepted the apprenticeship offer.

Although not being a surgeon himself, being raised by one gifted him with the learned ability to sew. What started as 'operating on plush toys' became an interest in embroidery, an element he likes to incorporate in his work.

Another interest of his is the surrounding mythos in China, especially as a foreigner such as himself. He would pay homage to these myths and legends by referencing them in his embroidered designs.

With Alix being the foreign exchange student that graduated with him, the two have formed a close bond that showed through their interests. Much like Alix herself, Rasmus is quite active in the website dedicated to the mysteries surrounding Megapolis.

If one squinted closely, they would notice that whoever the most recent villain was to attack, was referenced in his embroidery days before. It was through this that he also caught the eye of the back-up hero. Whether or not he has abilities inherited from someone else is still unknown. After all...

India is the west of Journey To The West.

"Do you notice a pattern?"

[theverumproject]

Story/WIP Tour Tag!

Thanks for the tag @topazadine

Luce, Dethra, Bluctro, Arushi and Zri’Kla shall guide us through this tour of their worlds!

This will be a longer post, so I'll put the tour below the cut. But to perhaps to gain some interest, here's the contents:

Verum I: The Awakening: Redville (Australia), The Basement, The secret government facility, Uncle Martin's Villa

Verum II: The Robotic Era (wip): The old farm, The Death Rings / The tunnels of Glasgow (Scotland), Arushi's home village, Deogarh (India), Jungles of Eastern India, Arushi's Camp, The Death Camps, Kotrul, Ke;Sanra, The Milkyway, The Solar System, Space stations, Cargo space ships, The Galactic Confederation / The Galactic Core

Tags: @creative-author @rivenantiqnerd @teamarine777

Verum I: The Awakening 

Redville, Australia

Luce: Redville was the town I spent my childhood in. It is somewhere north of Kalgoorlie, which is the closest bigger town, though there still are some quite many kilometers between the two. There's a forest next to our town, somebody planted it there once many many decades ago. I spent a lot of time there back when I still lived in Redville. My mom was good friends with the local veterinarian, sometimes I was allowed to help at the clinic a little. Funny thing, despite being a human, I myself was operated on in there once.

(Redville and it's forest are both fictional)

The Basement

Luce: Hidden inside the forest, there's a bunker that my father and I called the basement. It's where he taught me all about robotics and AI. We tried to create sentient life, but when we finally succeeded, he was already dead… Bluctro was the one that was born in there.

The secret government facility

Dethra: It was hidden somewhere deep within the Australian outback. It was Michael's, the father of Luce, workplace and where I was created. More specifically, it was one of many military bases, this one focused on creating a new weapon of war, me. Mike and I were a team for years, he eventually helped me out of there, but it cost him his own life. I killed everyone in there and burned the whole place down. Everybody eventually died, even if they weren't there at the moment. All the information that it held is gone. It and the place should never be rediscovered.

Uncle Martin's villa

Luce: Martin was the brother of my father. He was a rich business man, living somewhere near the northern, western coast of Australia. He helped us flee back when the government was still after us.

Verum II: The Robotic Era

The old farm

Bluctro: After we fled to Scotland, we made a little farm in the Highlands our new home. It was a good place to hide, we could sustain ourselves, grow food for Luce and even sell the food we grew to the nearest towns. The house wasn't a big one by any means, we also didn't use that much farm land, only for how much we needed for ourselves, which wasn't a lot, and to earn our money. We lived there for many years.

The Death Rings / The tunnels of Glasgow, Scotland

Bluctro: Hidden inside the tunnels of Glasgow reside some of the Death Rings that we seek out and destroy. Their purpose is to entertain cruel rich people and to kill members of the robotic population.

Arushi's home village

Arushi: I grew up in a small village of Odisha, an Indian state. I spent my childhood on my parents farm, where I, if I wasn't at school, usually spent my time looking after the sheep herd with our family dog, Chandra. Another place I liked was the cemetery where I used to look for human bones. It might sound weird, but it was what I was obsessed with as a child. I only got caught once!

Deogarh, India

Arushi: I moved to Deogarh to study anthropology. I started my studies young and also became a professor at a young age. Gods, I loved to teach at the University of Deogarh. Though there was an ugly side to the city. The hate against robots was especially strong there. You could see vandalization and hate speech on posters that were advertising bots everywhere. It made me sick. 

(The University is fictional)

Jungles of Eastern India

Arushi: The jungle was my home for the last two years. After me and O-5 had been kidnapped, tortured and with them being killed… with me committing mass murder as revenge, I couldn't return… I became a nomad, slowly traveling through Odisha's jungles, looking for the next camp to destroy.

Arushi's Camp

Arushi: I usually stay at one place for a while, until every last camp more or less near it has been destroyed. My current camp is inside a little cave behind a waterfall. You have to climb a little to reach it. There's a big hole on the ceiling, it reaches up quite a few meters. On a clear night, I can watch the stars. When it rains, I have a roof that I can set up quickly. The water drains into the little stream that exits the cave. I sleep and eat in the middle, below the hole. In front of my makeshift bed is the campfire, set up with a grill and pots whenever I need them. Further back in the cave, there are little pools of cool water, the water comes out from between the cracks in the stone, it even is cold on the hottest days, since it doesn't touch the surface. I use one of them as a fridge, where I keep my food inside little containers. The other one is my bath and source of water.

The Death Camps

Arushi: Death camps, like the one me and O-5 got taken to, are hidden within the jungles of Asia. Ever since O-5 got murdered by these people, I've been seeking them out. To save the ones that have been captured there and to kill the ones that took them.

Kotrul

Zri’Kla: Kotrul is the name of my home planet. It's one of the most beautiful planets known to the Galactic Confederation. The Planet is covered in giant trees, there's almost no area on the surface that isn't jungle. We don't have any seas like other planets, but we have many rivers and smaller lakes. Us Kotrulians have adapted to live in the trees, they are our homes. Our houses are built into them. We hollow the outer layers of the trees out while leaving the inner layers untouched, this way the trees can keep on living without any problems for millenia. Unlike most housings on other planets, our walls don't have any corners, they are round. At least the outer walls are. While the highway is on the ground, between trees, smaller and main roads are on the branches of the trees, connected by bridges.

Ke;Sanra

Zri’Kla: Ke;Sanra was the city I studied ship engineering in, at the university for robotics, engineering and programming. The entry lounge and secretary are on the lowest floor, then comes the many schooling rooms reaching a few stories high. At the very top are the living quarters of the students, also reaching a few stories high. There are exits and entries for the students and teachers on many floors, connecting to the roads. It would be impractical to only have one at the very bottom.

The Milkyway

Zri’Kla: The milkyway, as the humans call our galaxy, is the home of many different species. Most of them are either microbial, plant- and animal-like, but some of them are sapient, like us. Advanced sapient species are all part of the so-called Galactic Confederation. Except one, the Tapzians.

The Solar System

Zri’Kla: This particular star system is the home of the humans and many other species. It is one of many systems that we, as the Galactic confederation, hide and protect from the Tapzians. If we didn't, they would have long been destroyed. We hope to introduce the homo sapiens to the Galactic Confederation one day.

Space stations

Zri’Kla: There are many space stations throughout the galaxy, most of them belong to the GC. They are the work place of many people from all kinds of planets. After I finished my studies, I worked at one too. Until it got attacked by Tapzians. My will to become a soldier reached one hundred percent that day.

Cargo space ships

Zri’Kla: Like stations, most cargo ships also belong to the GC, with all kinds of people working there. Either temporarily, like I did as a soldier, or permanently. Ships are always the most likely to be attacked by Tapzians, since they carry important technology that they want.

The Galactic Confederation / The Galactic Core

Zri’Kla: The main HQ of the GC lies within the Galactic core. From the view of an earthling, it would probably appear like a palast. Vegetation, rivers and waterfalls surround it. The colors of the outer walls are white in the light spectrum. It is a majestic place, I had the honor to visit it a few times in my life.

[sketching-shark]

So Xiyouji is quite the humorous work but honestly the story’s history is extremely interesting and funny too on account of the MASSIVE character change the monk’s monkey protector went through over the centuries. I’ll let Hongmei Sun do the talking here, but beware of crude language below!

We “began” (as these stories were going around in folklore as well) with “Shihua [Full title Da Tang Sanzang qujing shihua] [which] is the first fictional account of Xuanzang’s journey in which the monk acquires a monkey attendant who functions as his guide and protector...According to Shihua’s account, the monk is on his way to acquire scriptures because he has received an imperial commission. On his way he meets the monkey figure, Hou Xingzhe (Monkey Acolyte), who becomes his guide and assistant. This story is filled with praises of the religious pilgrimage, paying its respects to Buddha and Buddhist teaching and eulogizing the peaceful places near the Western Heaven. Unlike the later versions, it is clear in the story that the success of the pilgrimage is based on Tripitaka’s deep understanding of Buddhist texts and great strength in his belief. The Tripitaka in later versions will reply on the assistance of Sun Wukong and gods from all parts of the universe to complete his journey.” 

BUT THEN WE GET THIS:

“The six-part, twenty-four-act Zaju Xiyou ji is attributed to the fourteenth-century playwright Yang Jingxian, who lived during the late Yuan and early Ming periods. In the few hundred years between Shihua and Zaju, the story of ‘Journey to the West’ is not only more expanded, containing many of the stories that can be found later in Journey to the West, but the monkey figure in Zaju has grown into a character strikingly different from Hou Xingzhe. If Hou Xingzhe in Shihua is depicted as an advisor for Tripitaka, as respectable albeit mysterious deity, and a brave fighter, the monkey in Zaju is pictured as a rowdy clown, an untamed demon and ill-qualified Buddhist disciple... He also makes upfront ribald references about himself in this very first speech. The monkey’s demonic heart is indicated by his intention to eat Tripitaka immediately after Tripitaka rescues him from beneath the mountain. He never shows any seriousness about his business of pilgrimage, and his behavior does not improve during the journey. When the team arrives in India, he uses crude language in a conversation with an old lady about Buddhist ideas of the ‘heart’...The language that Xingzhe uses is the most vulgar of all, corresponding to his role as the clown. He amuses by making crude jokes and obscene references at most inappropriate occasions throughout the story. For instance, at a crucial moment of his life when Tripitaka meets him for the first time and tries to climb the mountain to have him released, the monkey starts a conversation about love and explains that Tripitaka’s motivation to save him is his lust for the monkey’s thin waistline, which resembles that of a desirable beauty. The monkey makes a reference to Agilawood Pavilion (Chenxiang Ting), a place that is known through Li Bo’s poems about the love affair between Emperor Tang Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei...When asked about his heart, Xingzhe comments that he used to have a heart, but he ‘shit it out’ because his ‘asshole’ is too wide.” 

So this is a pretty major character change to say the least. But what’s this? WU CHENG’EN COMES IN WITH THE ABILITY TO COMPOSE A CLASSIC!!!

“In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong becomes a figure of more depth, someone who does not follow any prototype. He is still the guide and protector, resourceful for the journey, and knowledgeable about Buddhist teachings, but he is not the overly seriously Hou Xingzhe of Shihua. He is still funny and mischievous, creating trouble while pushing the narrative forward, but he is no longer the clown of Zaju. It seems that much of the vulgarity is redirected to the character of Zhu Bajie, which allows Sun Wukong to become a more introspective character who seeks to answer the question; Who am I?’ or, more accurately, engages the reader to ask the question...Compared to the earlier versions, the most significant change of Journey to the West is the change of protagonist. In Zaju, Tripitaka is still the main pilgrim on the journey and the main character in the entire play. Besides the incidents during the journey, the drama starts with Tripitaka’s legend and ends with Tripitaka’s accomplishment of the pilgrimage. In Journey to the West this structure is changed. The novel begins instead with a seven-chapter-long account of the monkey’s story, which is elaborated more than in any earlier account. It is here that Sun Wukong obtains his weapon, the Golden-Hooped Rod, which does not appear in the previous monkey stories...His actions, from stealing peaches from heaven, to making advances toward Princess Iron Fan, are all actions of a mischievous demon that needs to be controlled by the fillet. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong finds his rod, and his experience—from the learning of skills, the testing of territory, the freedom of doing what he wants, to the kind of fun he enjoys no matter what he does and where he is—seems to be associated with, or represented by, the rod. Indeed, the narrative particularly makes the point that the monkey is meant to be the owner of the rod. The narrative also notes in one episode that without the rod he is no longer the monkey. The pleasure and freedom that Sun Wukong enjoys with the rod, or the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod (Ruyi Jingu Bang) is only to be met by the fillet from the Buddha, given to him by Guanyin via the hands of Tripitaka. The fillet is not compliant to his will; instead, it controls him against his will. From the moment that Sun Wukong puts on the fillet, he is transformed from a free monkey—or a demon from the viewpoint of the Taoist and Buddhist deities—to a disciple of Tripitaka, a ‘compliant’ good pilgrim for the journey. In a sense, he becomes the ‘compliant rod’ for his master and Guanyin, since they can use the Tightening Fillet to force him to do what they want. However, the story is told mainly from the monkey’s point of view, as is established in the beginning chapters. Thus, the conflict between the rod of free will and the fillet that constrains the will becomes fundamental for the character Sun Wukong, providing the exigencies for his behavior.”

Su Wukong is a constantly transforming character, but the extreme levels of transformation he went through before Xiyouji was even published is a journey in of itself.

[digitaldetoxworld]

A Reflection on Freedom, Unity, and Progress independence day 2024 celebration ideas for office

Introduction

Independence day celebration ideas for office  is more than only a date at the calendar; it’s a effective image of freedom, cohesion, and the iconic spirit of a state. As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day on August 15, 2024, it's miles an possibility to reflect on the adventure of this tremendous and numerous u . S . A .—from the struggles and sacrifices of the past to the achievements and demanding situations of the present. This day not handiest commemorates the quit of British colonial rule in 1947 however additionally serves as a reminder of the obligations that include freedom.

The Historical Significance of Independence Day

Best Independence Day food recipes marks the end result of a long and onerous battle for freedom. The British East India Company started out its rule over India in 1757, and through the mid-19th century, the British Crown had taken direct manipulate of the usa. For almost 200 years, India endured colonial exploitation, financial complication, and the suppression of its people.

The Indian freedom war became characterised by using various movements and uprisings, from the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 to the non-cooperation motion, civil disobedience, and the Quit India Movement led via Mahatma Gandhi. These movements galvanized millions of Indians, united them of their demand for independence, and paved the manner for the eventual cease of British rule.

On August 15, 1947, India ultimately gained independence. Jawaharlal Nehru, the primary Prime Minister of India, marked the event together with his well-known speech, “Tryst with Destiny,” wherein he stated India’s awakening to lifestyles and freedom. Since then, Independence Day has been celebrated every 12 months with remarkable fervor and patriotism.

Celebrations Across the Nation

Independence Day activities for families in India is celebrated with a big selection of activities, ceremonies, and cultural activities. The most iconic party takes region at the Red Fort in Delhi, where the Prime Minister hoists the national flag and addresses the country. This event is attended by way of dignitaries, government officers, and hundreds of citizens, while thousands and thousands more watch the lawsuits on tv.

The national flag, a image of India’s sovereignty and delight, is hoisted in schools, schools, government homes, and houses throughout the u . S . A .. Parades, cultural applications, and patriotic songs are necessary components of the celebrations, with groups coming collectively to honor the freedom combatants and the country’s journey to independence.

In addition to the legitimate occasions, Independence Day is also a time for individuals and households to have a good time of their very own methods. People often put on the tricolor, take part in flag-hoisting ceremonies of their neighborhoods, and percentage messages of patriotism on social media. The day serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made through endless people for the u . S .’s freedom and the want to maintain and cherish that hard-won liberty.

Independence Day 2024: A Time for Reflection

As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day in 2024, it is vital to reflect on the development made in view that 1947 and the challenges that lie beforehand. The state has come a long manner in terms of economic growth, technological advancements, and social development. However, the journey of independence is ongoing, as the united states of america continues to try for extra team spirit, equality, and prosperity.

Economic Growth and Development

Since gaining independence, India has converted from a in large part agrarian economic system into one of the international’s largest and quickest-growing economies. The u . S . Has made sizeable strides in various sectors, such as era, manufacturing, offerings, and agriculture. The upward thrust of the Indian IT enterprise, the increase of the middle magnificence, and the expansion of infrastructure are only a few examples of the kingdom’s progress.

In 2024, India is poised to hold its financial increase, with a focus on sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity. The government’s efforts to boost the manufacturing sector via projects like “Make in India,” the emphasis on digitalization, and the frenzy for renewable electricity are shaping the future of the kingdom’s economic system. However, challenges consisting of earnings inequality, unemployment, and environmental degradation continue to be and require sustained efforts to deal with.

Social Progress and Challenges

India’s adventure toward social development has been marked with the aid of large achievements, however additionally by way of ongoing demanding situations. The u . S . A . Has made high-quality development in education, healthcare, and poverty discount. Government packages just like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for All) have had a high quality effect on millions of lives.

However, troubles including gender inequality, caste-based discrimination, and communal tensions hold to have an effect on the social material of the united states of america. Independence Day 2024 is a time to reaffirm the dedication to social justice, equality, and human rights. It is a reminder that the genuine essence of independence lies in making sure that every citizen, regardless of their heritage, has the opportunity to live with dignity and recognize.

Unity in Diversity

One of India’s finest strengths is its variety. With over 1.Three billion humans, 29 states, masses of languages, and a multitude of cultures and religions, India is a colourful mosaic of different identities. Independence Day is a party of this diversity and the solidarity that binds the nation together.

In 2024, as India faces worldwide demanding situations consisting of weather trade, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainties, the spirit of harmony will become even greater essential. The state have to come collectively to address these demanding situations at the same time as respecting and embracing the variety that defines it.

The Role of Youth in Nation-Building

The teens of India have usually performed a essential position in shaping the nation’s destiny. In 2024, with over 65% of the populace beneath the age of 35, the kids continue to be the driving pressure behind the u . S .’s development. Independence Day is an opportunity to encourage and empower the younger era to absorb the mantle of management and contribute to kingdom-building.

Young Indians are increasingly more involved in social, economic, and political spheres, riding exchange thru innovation, entrepreneurship, and activism. Whether it’s through technological advancements, social tasks, or political participation, the teenagers are at the vanguard of shaping a extra inclusive and progressive India.

Looking Ahead: The Future of India

As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day crafts for kids , it's far critical to appearance beforehand to the future and envision the sort of state we aspire to be. The challenges of the 21st century require progressive answers, collaborative efforts, and a commitment to the values of freedom, democracy, and justice.

India’s destiny lies in its ability to harness its human potential, protect its environment, and ensure that monetary boom benefits all sections of society. It is a destiny where generation is leveraged for social right, where schooling and healthcare are handy to all, and in which each citizen has the opportunity to thrive.

Independence Day 2024 is a moment to resume the pledge to uphold the beliefs of the liberty battle—equality, justice, and fraternity. It is a time to keep in mind that independence isn't always just about political freedom, but additionally approximately the liberty to pursue our dreams, to live without fear, and to make a contribution to the collective progress of the kingdom.

[reportsofawartime]

JEFFREY SACHS: "I want to take it back to the 1840s, to the real roots of hegemony, which is Great Britain. Never was there a hegemon with such ambition and such a curious view of the world. But Britain wanted to run the world in the 19th century and taught America everything it knows. Recently, I read a fascinating book by a historian named J.H. Gleason, published by Harvard University Press in 1950. It's an incredibly interesting book called 'The Genesis of Russophobia in Great Britain.' The question is, where did England's hate of Russia come from? Because it's actually a little surprising. Britain has HATED Russia since the 1840s and launched the Crimean War that was a war of choice in modern Parliament—a war of choice by Palmerston in the 1850s—because it hated Russia. So, this author tries to understand where this hate came from, because it was the same kind of iterative hate that we have now. And by the way, we hated the Soviet Union because it was Communist, but we hated Russia afterwards when it wasn't communist. It doesn't matter. So, it's a deeper phenomenon, and he tries to trace where this hatred came from. The fascinating point is, Russia and Britain were on the same side in the Napoleonic Wars from 1812 to 1815, from the Battle of Moscow in Russia to Napoleon's defeat in Waterloo. They were on the same side, and in fact, for many years, the relations weren't great, but they were kind of normal. So, this historian reads every snippet of the newspapers, what's written, of the speeches, to try to understand where the hatred arose. The key point is there was no reason for it. There was nothing that Russia did. Russia didn't behave in some perfidious way. It wasn't Russian evil; it wasn't that the tsar was somehow off the rails. There wasn't anything except a self-fulfilling lather built up over time because Russia was a big power and therefore an affront to British hegemony. This is the same reason why the US hates China: not for anything China actually does but because it's big. It's the same reason, until today, that the United States and Britain hate Russia—because it's big. So, the author comes to the conclusion that the hate really arose around 1840 because it wasn't instantaneous, and there was no single triggering event. The British got it into their crazy heads that Russia was going to invade India through Central Asia and Afghanistan—one of the most bizarre, phony, wrongheaded ideas imaginable—but they took it quite literally. And they told themselves this: 'We're the imperialists. How dare Russia presume to invade India?' when it had no intention of doing so. So, my point is, it's possible to have hate to the point of war and now to the point of nuclear annihilation for no fundamental reason. Talk to each other."

ジェフリー・サックス: 「私は1840年代、つまり覇権の本当のルーツであるイギリスに話を戻したいのです。 これほどの野心とこれほどの好奇心を持った覇権国はかつて存在しなかった。 しかし、イギリスは19世紀に世界を支配しようとし、アメリカに自国が知っていることすべてを教えた。 最近、私はハーバード大学出版局が1950年に出版した、JH グリーソンという歴史家による魅力的な本を読みました。それは『英国におけるロシア嫌悪の起源』という非常に興味深い本です。 問題は、イギリスのロシアに対する憎悪はどこから来たのか、ということだ。実のところ、それは少し意外なことだ。 英国は1840年代からロシアを憎み、ロシアを憎むがゆえに、現代の議会が選択した戦争、つまり1850年代にパーマストンが選択した戦争であるクリミア戦争を開始した。 そこで、この著者は、この憎悪がどこから来たのかを理解しようとします。なぜなら、それは現在私たちが抱えているのと同じ種類の反復的な憎悪だったからです。 ちなみに、私たちはソ連が共産主義だったから嫌いだったが、その後、共産主義ではなくなったロシアも嫌いになった。それは問題ではない。 つまり、これはもっと根深い現象であり、彼はこの憎悪がどこから来たのかを突き止めようとしているのです。 興味深いのは、ロシアとイギリスが、1812年から1815年までのナポレオン戦争、つまりロシアのモスク��の戦いからワーテルローでのナポレオンの敗北まで、同じ側にいたということです。両国は同じ側にいましたが、実際、長年にわたり、両国の関係は良好ではありませんでしたが、ある意味正常でした。 そこで、この歴史家は新聞のあらゆる断片、書かれた内容、演説を読み、憎悪がどこで生まれたのかを理解しようとします。 重要なのは、それには理由がなかったということだ。ロシアは何もしなかった。 ロシアは不誠実な振る舞いをしたわけではない。ロシアが悪だったわけでもないし、皇帝が何らかの理由で道を踏み外したわけでもない。 ロシアは大国であり、したがってイギリスの覇権に対する侮辱であったため、時間の経過とともに自己実現的な泡沫化が蓄積された以外、何もなかった。 これは米国が中国を嫌う理由と同じです。中国が実際に何かをしているからではなく、中国が大きいからです。 それは今日まで、米国と英国がロシアを嫌うのと同じ理由、つまりロシアが大国だからである。 そこで著者は、憎悪は瞬間的に生じたものではなく、単一のきっかけとなる出来事もなかったことから、実際には 1840 年頃に生じたという結論に達しています。 イギリス人は、ロシアが中央アジアとアフガニスタンを通ってインドを侵略するだろうと狂ったように思い込んでいた。これは考え得る限り最も奇妙で、偽りで、間違った考えの一つだが、彼らはそれを文字通りに受け止めた。 そして彼らはこう自分に言い聞かせた。「我々は帝国主義者だ。ロシアはどうしてインドを侵略する気などないのか」そうするつもりはなかったのに。 つまり、私が言いたいのは、根本的な理由もなく、憎しみが戦争にまで、そして今では核による絶滅にまで至る可能性があるということです。 話し合う。"

[xtruss]

“The Zone of Interest: The Banal Dreams of Nazi Settler Colonialism”

In Jonathan Glazer's Oscar-Winning Movie, You Do Not See Auschwitz the Camp; You See Auschwitz the Colony. Neither Exists Without the Other

— Hazem Fahmy | 11 March 2024 | Middle East Eye

English Director Jonathan Glazer Poses with the Oscar for Best International Feature Film for "The Zone of Interest" during the 96th Annual Academy Awards on 10 March, 2024 (AFP)

In the 1965 Soviet Film Ordinary Fascism, Also Known as Triumph Over Violence, director Mikhail Romm’s voiceover implores the viewer to pay attention to the petit-bourgeois quality of fascism in general, and Nazism in particular.

Over archival footage of German small-business owners leaving their stores in uniform and hopping onto bicycles, he remarks, almost comically: "Here is a butcher, and there goes a baker." This brief scene succinctly captures Hannah Arendt’s (by now highly cliched) notion of the "banality of evil", a phrase she coined while covering the trial of Adolf Eichmann, known as the "architect of the Holocaust".

But Arendt’s own refusal to interrogate the inherently colonial nature of European fascism, a refusal inseparable from her own racism and western chauvinism, has blunted the sharpness of that term’s capacity for critical insight. Yes, the Holocaust was engineered by middle managers, but to what end? What did they get out of the horrific affair, besides satiating their sadism?

A simple answer is Jonathan Glazer’s Academy Award-winning film,The Zone of Interest: land - more specifically, enough land to replicate the expansionism of American manifest destiny, to recreate the German Aryan into the fascist ideal of the Ubermensch.

Over the weekend, the film won the Oscar's best international film award. In his acceptance speech, Glazer told the audience: "Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack in Gaza."

The story follows the mundane domestic lives of Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel), the longest-serving commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and his wife and children, as they go about their days in their idyllic house adjoining the camp grounds.

As the primary subject is the Holocaust, the film has been widely noted for its refusal to visually depict any of the atrocities that occurred within the camp, though the audience frequently hears gunshots and screams from over the wall. This bold narrative and political choice has been consistently misread in mainstream film criticism as a simple affirmation of Arendt’s limited perspective on the "banality of evil".

It is far too simplistic to describe the film as a truncated biopic of its subject, nor is it accurate to reduce it to a formal experiment; a film about the Holocaust in which you do not see the Holocaust. In other words, The Zone of Interest is not simply a film about the Nazi official as a middle manager, but is much more importantly a film about the Nazi official as a settler.

Cartoon Villains

Since 1939, mainstream western education, media, and discourse about World War II and the Holocaust have strived to depict Nazism as a catatonic movement of unbridled hate, rather than a settler-colonial one in continuum with those of other western powers.

Nazis tend to be portrayed as larger-than-life cartoon villains, rather than quite ordinary monsters, easily comparable to their colonial brethren in the Belgian Congo, French Algeria or British India, among countless other places around the world that have had the misfortune of experiencing western occupation and colonialism.

Writers and scholars from across the Third World have, of course, long questioned this narrative. One of the most notable and succinct critiques was levied by Aime Cesaire in his Discourse on Colonialism.

But such perspectives have been uncommon within the US. With the exception of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste, which has frequently been criticised for oversimplifying the primary terms of its investigation, writing on the intimate connections between western, and very specifically American, colonialism and Nazism is often marginalised. Scholars such as Carroll P Kakel and Edward B Westermann are few and far between.

The beauty of these scenes begs the (rhetorical) question: what is the difference between Hoss's family and that of any other frontiersman?

This connection is laid bare in The Zone of Interest, both visually and politically.

The amount of screen time dedicated to the lush vistas of the Nazi-occupied Polish countryside, in which Hoss and his family hike, swim and play, evokes the frontier romanticism of classic western films such as The Naked Spur, Shane and Johnny Guitar.

Being Hollywood productions, these stories, of course, implore the viewer to identify with the settlers’ yearning for the vast landscapes they seek to conquer and rid of their indigenous inhabitants.

In The Zone of Interest, the gaze is identical, but it is now one of a Nazi as opposed to that of a noble American pioneer. The beauty of these scenes begs the (rhetorical) question: what is the difference between Hoss’s family and that of any other frontiersman?

Pivotal Scene

Glazer’s identification of Poland as a frontier for Nazi German expansion is one shared unambiguously by his characters. In a pivotal scene, Hoss and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Huller) argue as to whether they should leave Auschwitz. He has been reassigned elsewhere by his higher-ups and his instinct, as that of any family man, is to take his wife and children with him.

But Hedwig refuses: “Your work is in Oranienburg now. Mine is raising our children.” When he insists, she delivers the final blow: “This is our home. We’re living how we dreamed we would since we were 17 - beyond how we dreamed. Out of the city finally. Everything we want, on our doorstep. And our children strong and healthy and happy. Everything the Fuhrer said about how we should live is exactly how we do. Drive east, Lebensraum. Here it is.”

Hedwig’s impassioned plea emphasises what the vast majority of western media narratives seek to suppress: that genocidal fascist projects are always about reproduction as much as they are about destruction. This is why Lebensraum, German for "living space", is so seldomly discussed in mainstream depictions of the Holocaust.

The Nazis’ ideology of eastward settler expansion did not simply echo American manifest destiny, but considered it a blueprint. This is why the robotically repeated line that the film is about not depicting, or “looking away” from Auschwitz is patently false. You do not see Auschwitz the camp. You see Auschwitz the colony. Neither exists without the other.

Ironically, and despite being the only filmmaker at the 96th Academy Awards to explicitly acknowledge the situation, Glazer himself apparently failed to see the resonance of his own work to the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. In multiple interviews, he has responded meekly when asked about Israel’s mass slaughter and starvation of Palestinians since 7 October, with a shallow lamentation for “both sides”. He repeated this liberal sentiment during his acceptance speech for Best Foreign Language Film, ignoring how the Hoss family has been reborn time and time again in Sderot and Ashkelon and all the other settlements of the so-called Gaza envelope.

Anyone uncomfortable with such comparisons needs only to listen to the words of Israeli leaders speaking of Auschwitz as their end goal for Gaza. I wish Glazer had done so, rather than fall into the tired old trap his own work so brilliantly escapes.

When it comes to colonialism, what most urgently demands our attention is not the banality of evil, but the evil of banality.

[sharenadraculea]

Live-action Atla Episode 4!

ooh, Aang and Iroh meet a Second time! I also really enjoyed the scene between Sokka, Teo and the mechanist. Kid!Bumi is very cute!

~Secret Tunnels~~ Anyways, looks like the Earthkingdom is also commiting warcrimes, I like it. I also really like King Bumis new design! And generally Omashus india-inspired aesthetic.

And Jet is back! I really like Kataras little speech! And Zuko is trying to break Iroh out.

I really like this version of Bumi, him beeing very much someone who has been figthing a war for a century. Oma and Shu are lesbians now! I like it! Also the hippies saying „they are doomed“ is just great

I think I prefer Sokka and Katara in the tunnels over Aang and Katara. Sibling-rivalry just feels more relatable to me than a crush? And oh, those ostrich-horses look great. I also like the casual cruelty of the guards towards Iroh and how in Ba Sing Se they had to ration the literal water and the earthkingdom soldier talking about the hell that was the Siege and his teenage-brothers death. Random earthkingdom soldier is just great.

And oof, the funeralscene. Tough it hits very diffrently after the scene with the earthkingdom soldier, because like Lu Ten and Iroh were the aggresors, the fire nation are the genociders. I also really like the parallels between Jet and the mechanist and also Sokka and Katara in the tunnel scene and them talking things out.

Also I really like hoe Bumi is escaping reality via „playing games“ and beeing his usual insane self. It makes a lot of sense.

Iroh sparing the soldier and gettinb injured for it is just chefs kiss.

Also the badger moles are quite scary, I like it. Also teh fight between Bumi and Aang, it also beeing about Bumis Anger and the hell of war he went through makes it very interesting. I generally like this version of Bumi a lot

Also Iroh mostly packing tea before leaving with Zuko is just a very Iroh-thing to do

[theopulenthq]

The Sharma Family welcomes you....

It starts with perfumed invitations written in ink, traveling to royal houses and strongholds throughout the world. After months of unrest and untimely deaths, the Sharma’s of the Mughal Empire invite contingents from far and wide to their “humble abode.” Though judging by the pearl in-lay of the invitations, it promises to be anything but. One by one, royal contingents arrived onto Lal Qila (translating to the Red Fort) in the heart of Delhi, India. All arrive just in time to settle in, unpack, and dress for what promises to be a night of reflection and mourning - The Grand Memoriam. They claim it is designed to be an evening dedicated to the lives lost in Germany, Japan, Persia, and Ethiopia as a result of the great, unnamed terror.... yet not a black dress is in sight. Anyone who plans for a demure, somber event clearly does not know the Sharma’s and their desire to refocus attention onto themselves. After a brief speech by the Emperor of the Mughal Empire and an all-too-awkward moment of silence, the evening takes a turn. Gone are the incense and weighted silence. The ballroom unveils a spectacle of wealth and celebration; ostentatious decorations, a sprawling feast, and musical stylings of India’s most talented souls.  The decadent display tells all who attend one indisputable thing; everyone hurts, except for the thriving and glittering Mughal Empire. They will dance on the graves of those who perished, and line their pockets while doing so.  But it’s their party, and they’ll dance if they want to. May as well settle in, and enjoy it.

Logistics: Our story starts on January 23rd, 1770 at the Grand Memoriam event at Lal Qila. Your muse(s) are allowed to wander anywhere on Palace grounds. A discord poll will be conducted to determine the end of this event. For now, please keep starters set only during the memoriam ball. Under the cut, you can find additional in-character information regarding the event's festivities to enjoy!

Activities at The Grand Memoriam

NOTE - if you would like your muse to host an activity during the event, please reach out to the main and we will add your activity blurb to this list! please limit to a maximum of 1 per mun.

While most of the festivities are carried out in the grand ballroom, there are always places to go and people to see at Lal Qila. 

Everyone deserves a break from their bosses. Many of the staff members (guards, ladies-in-waiting, valets, etc.) can be found congregating in the kitchens to polish off expensive liquor, let their hair down, and listen to the musical stylings of songbird Lady Nicolette. Of course, there is no such thing as a night off when the world is on the brink of ruin. There is always someone listening in on a conversation… 

Who’s got money to burn? For those with deep pockets or a tolerance for risk, Official Mistress India Dhar’s unofficial card game is the place to be. Hosted at the Palace’s parlor after hours, it’s the perfect place to gauge one’s competition - and make a spot of money while doing it. 

For a bachelor with something to prove, or a smitten man hoping to show off, Prince Reuben has started a nine pins tournament in the main gardens with quite the growing betting pool, and lively participants. A crowd of curious onlookers is sure to gather to cheer for their favorite contender as the pins go flying into the shrubbery and threaten to spill drinks.

[eddieydewr]

Twitter is a toxic wasteland and has been for some time…. I stopped going on there when they started wishing death on people who so much as expressed their sadness over innocent hostages being taken while also wishing for peace on both sides. It is also very much not a reflection of what the real world thinks, thankfully. Anyone who isn’t chronically online and with half a brain cell realized that it’s a shit situation on both sides… hell, not a single person has mentioned “free Palestine!” in any awards speech so far in Hollywood and why is that? Because even the celebs that these idiots worship have way more sense and compassion than they do. 🫢

💯! the US has the biggest userbase on twitter but it’s only 95 mil, which isn’t that impressive considering the 331m population (per the 2020 census). the country with the second largest userbase at 67m is japan! and the UK comes in 6th place with 23m. inbetween the US and the UK, we have japan, india, brazil, and indonesia. so not even the first 6 userbases are all skewed toward a western perspective, lmao. as for worldwide userbase, it was 368m in 2022 and is projected to go down to 335m this year (due to elon musk’s takeover). remember the worldwide population: almost if not already 8 billion.

basically, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you use twitter for, the algorithm works in your favour. and the pro hamas lovers are a loud minority who seem to think their opinions are global. like you said… people with half a brain already know that, esp. concerning a conflict in the middle east. 🙈

i think if celebs mentioned palestine in their award speeches, it wouldn’t go down well for multiple reasons. there are celebs who want to mention the hostages still held in gaza. hollywood seems to be quite divided in this respect; even though the so called progressives like to say hollywood is run by zionists (read: jews). 🫠

BUT… apparently there were a few celebs who wore a yellow ribbon for the hostages. and there’s that guy who wrote “never again” on his palm. for palestinians. talk about co-opting a phrase. 🙃

[mariacallous]

Few matters are able to rile global publics quite like war in Israel-Palestine. Following Hamas’s brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which left more than 1,200 dead, people have taken to the streets around the world to express solidarity with Israel or to condemn its punishing military response in the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians to date. 

The war has significantly raised tensions in the Middle East, with the battlefield already having expanded to Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and the Red Sea. Beyond the Middle East, the conflict’s ripple effects have been felt around the world, leading to pitched battles over freedom of speech, intense diplomatic wrangling at the United Nations, and a surge in hate crimes against Jews, Muslims, and Arabs. 

This all comes as some 40 percent of the world’s population is set to go to the polls this year in more than 40 countries. And in several of them, the Israel-Hamas war is creating or exacerbating political rifts that could have real electoral consequences. Here is a look at how the conflict could echo through world politics in the coming year. 

United States

Outside of Israel itself, the war’s political repercussions will likely be most keenly felt in the United States, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a foreign-policy issue of singular importance to voters. President Joe Biden has resolutely stood by Israel since the Oct. 7 attack, rushing additional U.S. military aid to the country to bolster its Iron Dome missile defenses, pushing Congress to pass a substantial aid package for Israel, and exercising the U.S. veto to block a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

As criticism has grown both internationally and from within his own party over Israel’s conduct in the war and the staggering civilian death toll, Biden has taken a tougher stance on what he has described as Israel’s “indiscriminate” bombing of Gaza, but he has steadfastly refused to attach conditions on U.S. military aid to the country as a means to alter its tactics.

Growing up in the wake of the Holocaust, Biden’s support for Israel is personal and deeply rooted. He has described himself as a “Zionist in my heart.” But he presides over a country and a party deeply divided over how to respond to the war. The Democratic Party’s once-unwavering support for Israel has increasingly been called into question by its progressive flank. 

Amid the electorate at large, the picture is equally complicated. A New York Times/Siena College poll published in December found that 57 percent of respondents disapproved of Biden’s handling of the conflict. That figure rises to 72 percent among young voters, a key constituency behind his 2020 victory over Trump.

Foreign policy takes a back seat in U.S. elections—a little more than 1 percent of respondents listed the conflict as the most pressing issue, according to the same poll. But in a presidential race that could come down to the wire, Biden’s staunch support for Israel could cost him precious votes in swing states such as Michigan, which has a large Arab and Muslim population. 

U.S. support for Israel has also complicated Washington’s efforts to persuade the global south to stand alongside Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. Biden has sought to tie the two wars together, framing Ukraine and Israel as two democracies at war with foes that seek their annihilation. “History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction,” he said in an Oval Office address in October.

But many observers have accused Washington and the wider West of double standards for their vociferous response to Russia’s occupation of Ukraine and the more muted response to Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories.

India

Hundreds of millions of Indians go to the polls in the spring in general elections in the world’s largest democracy. As in the United States, foreign policy is unlikely to be the primary factor in determining the vote’s outcome, but that doesn’t mean it won’t feature at all. 

After eschewing diplomatic relations with Israel for decades and only formally establishing them in the 1990s, India has deepened its ties with the country in recent years—particularly since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014. This has largely been driven by pragmatism, as India has sought a wider array of partners in the Middle East; Israel today is India’s second largest arms supplier after Moscow.

Israel’s drift toward religious nationalism has also been taken as inspiration by some of Modi’s followers. “India’s Hindu chauvinists see Israel much like they imagine India: as an ethnonationalist majoritarian state facing the existential threat of Islamist terrorism,” writes Daniel Markey for the United States Institute for Peace. 

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has long been accused of fanning the flames of Islamophobia in India, tweeted out a video hours after the Hamas attacks that compared the assault to India’s own struggle with Islamist terrorism. 

“Comparisons with the situation in Gaza, and broadcasting the BJP’s alleged counterterrorist credentials, has been seen as a powerful mobilizing force in the perspective of the coming elections,” said Nicolas Blarel, an associate professor at the University of Leiden, in an email to Foreign Policy. 

The BJP’s embrace of Israel also underscores a key foreign-policy distinction with its main opposition, the Indian National Congress party, which has long sympathized with the Palestinian struggle for statehood. While condemning Hamas’s assault on southern Israel, the party railed against India’s abstention in an October U.N. vote calling for an immediate humanitarian truce. 

“India’s response to the conflict may become a wedge issue among the Indian electorate,” said Emmett Potts, a watch operations manager for the Middle East and North Africa region at the risk management consultancy Crisis24, in an email to Foreign Policy.

Germany

In 2008, when then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Israel, she declared the country’s security to be Germany’s Staatsräson, or “reason of state”—meaning it is a foundational priority of the German state, part of the country’s deep commitment to reckoning with its Nazi history. But in recent years, a quiet debate has simmered as to whether Germany’s staunch support for Israel has begun to tread on the toes of freedom of speech when it comes to legitimate criticism of Israel’s government. 

The east German state of Saxony-Anhalt is set to require new applicants for German citizenship to confirm in writing that they affirm Israel’s right to exist and “condemn any efforts directed against the existence of the State of Israel.” Antisemitism and denial of Israel’s right to exist are explicitly proscribed by Germany’s Basic Law, by which all citizens are expected to abide. 

Yet German intellectuals have traded open letters about the country’s handling of the war, while the country’s famed art scene has seen a wave of events canceled and collaborations suspended over artists’ critiques of Israel or use of the word “genocide” to describe the country’s actions in Gaza.

Some see the extent of the coverage of this debate in the international press as overwrought. “I’m a bit exasperated by this connection that people make about Germany’s ‘vergangenheitsbewältigung,’ coming to terms with our past, and the supposed misjudgment of the German government of the right stance towards Israel in Gaza,” said Jorg Lau, an international correspondent for the German newspaper Die Zeit.

“It’s not unconditional and it’s much more complicated,” he said, noting that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had spoken out extensively about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza during trips to the region. 

The spotlight on Germany’s memory culture could come with a cost, playing into the “Germany first” narrative of the far-right Alternative For Germany party, which is projected to win big in regional elections later this year, alongside a new populist left-wing party. “They both share this idea that we should do away with these constraints of the German past, for different reasons,” Lau said.

Tunisia

In late October, lawmakers in the Tunisian Parliament put forward legislation that would criminalize any efforts to normalize ties with Israel in an attempt to erect a firewall against the wider regional trend of diplomatic rapprochement between Israel and Arab countries that was well underway before the war. The legislation had already been under discussion before the Hamas attack, but it was brought forward quickly in light of the war. Sympathy for the Palestinians is deep and long-standing in Tunisia, which hosted the Palestinian Liberation Organization in the 1980s. 

The bill carries stiff penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment what it describes as the “crime of normalization.” It would also criminalize any contact with Israeli citizens or companies, which would be difficult and draconian to enforce. 

In a surprising turn, the country’s president, Kais Saied—who had previously described any efforts to normalize ties with Israel as treasonous, came out against the bill. Saied, who has a history of making public antisemitic remarks, offered a convoluted explanation that there was no need to criminalize ties with a country that Tunisia doesn’t recognize. 

However, some Tunisian lawmakers have alleged that Saied’s U-turn came because the United States intervened in a bid to stop the bill. Referring to what he called “official correspondence from the US Embassy in Tunis addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” one member of parliament involved in the process told Le Monde that the United States had threatened to impose sanctions on Tunisia if the bill passed. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the allegations.

Saied has been accused of steadily dismantling Tunisia’s democratic institutions, so it’s unlikely that his surprise rebuke of parliament over the bill will impact the outcome of presidential elections later this year. But the perception that Western countries have stood by Israel as it has laid siege to the Gaza Strip has had a profound impact on Arab public opinion.

An Arab Barometer poll, the survey period of which straddled the Oct. 7 attacks, found that favorability ratings of countries with strong or warming ties with Israel dropped sharply as Israel’s military campaign got underway. Tunisia is just one country, but the study’s architects noted in a piece for Foreign Affairs that the country has historically been a robust bellwether for public opinion across the Arab world.

“It’s going to have lasting impacts,” said Fadil Aliriza, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute. “We’ve seen people rejecting prizes that they’ve gotten from the EU, we’ve seen people publicly rejecting honors they’ve been given from the West,” he said. “They believe that the West has really been complicit in the war.”